Swimming pool cover

ABSTRACT

A SWIMMING POOL COVER COMPRISING A PANEL HAVING A PLURALITY OF LENGTHWISE SPACED AND TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING TUBES SUPPORTING THE PANEL ON THE POOL COPING. A STORAGE MEANS IS PROVIDED AT ONE END OF THE POOL.

Oct. 19, 1971 M. IVKOVICH SWIMMING POOL COVER Filed Sept. 19, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. N/Z A /t//(0 V/Cf/ Oct. 19, 1971 M. IVKOVICH SWIMMING POOL COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 19, 1969 lNl/E/VTOR. M/L II KOV/Cf/ United States Patent 3,613,125 SWIMMING POOL COVER Mile Ivkovich, 190 Montgomery St., Gary, Ind. 46403 Filed Sept. 19, 1969, Ser. No. 859,291 Int. Cl. E04h 3/16, 3/18 U.S. Cl. 4172.14 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to covers for swimming pools and more particularly to a new and improved cover for use with outdoor swimming pools.

Outdoor swimming pools are now widely installed in backyards because the natural waters are becoming more contaminated and polluted. A further factor in the increase of swimming pool installation is the lower initial installation costs and improved construction which tends to reduce the maintenance costs.

However, the problems which continue to be troublesome to the back-yard swimming pool owner are cleaning and water evaporation. Swimming pools require vacuuming daily to remove the dirt and other debris which collects therein during the night and periods of non-use. Also, there is rapid evaporation of the water during these periods so that the pool water must be replenished to maintain the desired level. The dirt, debris and water evaporation problem is even more prevalent during the winter months when the pool is not used for extended periods.

To minimize these problems it has been common practice to cover the pool. However, the prior pool covers have not been completely satisfactory primarily for the reason of the difficulty in removal and replacement from the pool. Standard swimming pool covers have been made from sheet material such as canvas, plastic or the like and suitably staked to the adjacent ground so as to retain the cover over the pool. However, because of the wide area of the average pool area it usually requires two or three persons to properly manipulate the cover during removal and replacement. Also should water or the like collect on the cover the gross weight is considerably increased to further increase the handling difiiculties.

To eliminate these difliculties efforts have been made to provide rigidifying and foldable metal frames over which the cover has been placed. These prior efforts resulted in cover structures which material increased the costs so as to render them economically unfeasible to the average home owner. At the same time these prior structures were frequently so complex that periodic mechanical breakdowns occurred so as to further increase the operating cost of swimming pools.

By the present it is proposed to provide a swimming pool cover which overcomes the difficulties encountered heretofore.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a swimming pool cover which is capable of being easily removed and replaced.

It is still a further object to provide a swimming pool cover having transversely extending rigid means incorporated therein for supporting the cover on the swimming pool coping.

It is another object taken in conjunction with the foregoing object wherein the transversely extending rigid means are spaced lengthwise from each other no greater ice than the arm span of an average person so as to facilitate the removal and replacement of the cover of the pool.

It is still another object to provide a swimming pool cover with drainage means so that water is prevented from collecting on the upper surface thereof.

It is still a further object to provide a swimming pool cover having downwardly depending flaps along the perimeter thereof and which are provided with rigidifying means to maintain the lower edges thereof snug with the top deck surrounding the pool.

It is a further object to provide a swimming pool cover of the foregoing type with the means for storage which may be disposed at one end of the pool.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention which will be apparent from the foregoing specifications and appended drawings are accomplished by a pool covering comprising generally a cover made from a flexible sheet material of sustantially the same area as the pool. Lengthwise spaced rigidifying means extend transversely of cover so as to support the cover adjacent each end thereof on the pool coping. The rigidifying means are preefrably spaced a distance no greater than the arm span of the average man so as to facilitate the removal and replacement of the cover on the swimming pool.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an outdoor swimming pool having a cover incorporating the structure of the present invention positioned thereover;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the swimming pool and cover of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the covering taken generally along the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a rack for storing the cover at one end of the pool after removal therefrom, and

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the cover storage shown in FIG. 4 but with the covering removed therefrom.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a substantially rectangular swimming pool 10 having a covering 11 embodying the structure of the present invention covering the same. The Swimming pool 10 includes a coping 12 of substantially a standard construction extending above the deck 13 surrounding the pool area. In accordance with standard construction the pool area, the coping 12 generally projects about two inches above the deck 13.

The covering 11 comprises a top panel 14 of substantially the same area as the top of the swimming pool and side flaps 15 and end flaps 16 extending from the top panel to the deck. The top panel 14 and side and end flaps 15 and 16- may each be made from a flexible sheet material such as plastic or the like. One such material capable of withstanding the conditions imposed on the cover 11 is a vinyl plastic sold under the trademark Koroseal, manufactured by U.S. Rubber Company. Preferably, the vinyl sheet material is about 20 gauge. The side flaps 15 and end fiaps '16 may be fastened to the marginal edge portions of the top panel 14 as by a heat sealing, adhesive or the like.

In order to support the panel in spaced relationship over the water in the pool 10 there is provided a plurality of lengthwise spaced and transversely extending tubes 17 disposed in sleeves 18. The sleeves 18 are preferably made from the same material as the top panel 14 and fastened thereto by heat sealing or adhesive. The tubes 17 as shown, may be of hollow circular cross section and may be made from aluminum or other light weight material to maintain the weight of the cover '11 at minimum. It is to be noted that the ends of the tubes 17 project outboard of the top panel 14 and beyond the coping 12 and thereby provide a hand grip for handling the cover as more fully to be explained hereinafter. As shown, the ends of the tubes may be closed by a plug 19. If desired a wheel or other roller structure (not shown) may be inserted in the ends to facilitate rolling on the deck 13 during removal and replacement of the cover 11.

Maintaining the top panel 14 in spaced relationship above the water level in the pool is advantageous because it provides an air space. The air space is in the nature of an insulating space which reduces the cooling of the water by radiation and the like. This feature is extremely beneficial in heated pools in reducing the amount of heating required to maintain the desired temperature after overnight periods.

To permit drainage of the surface water on the cover panel '14 While at the same time maintaining the debris out of-the pool water, the center of the top panel 14 may be provided with a plurality of drainage openings 21. In the form shown the drainage openings 21 are formed in separate panels which may be perforated sheets 22. The perforated sheets 22 are fixed in associated openings cut in the top panel 14 between the tubes 17 as by heating, sealing or other suitable fastening means. The drainage opening 21. serves to permit the water which may collect thereon as by snow accumulation during winter months to drain into the pool. This eliminates the necessity of pumping off the surface which has been required heretofore before removal could be accomplished.

The side flap 15 and end flaps 16 are provided with a plurality of vertical stays 23 made from a spring plate. The stays 23 each are retained at the opposite ends in vertically spaced pockets 24-24 which serve to maintain the stays 23 slightly bowed. The stays -23 in this manner serve to maintain the lower edge of the flaps 1'5 and 16 in close proximity to the deck 13.

For storing the cover 11 a roller or motor driven drum 24 assembly may be installed at one end of the pool 10. The cover may be attached to the drum 24 by means of straps 2 6 which are detachable from the drum 24.

A further cover storage structure may be a rank 28 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The rack 28 may be located at the end of the swimming pool 10 in spaced relationship thereto so as not to interfere with the pool activities.

The rack 28 includes a vertical support frame 29 permanently fixed to or adjacent to the deck 13. The frame 29 includes an upright frame 31 to the upper end of which there is fixed a transversely extending rod 32. The rod 32 receives hooks 33 extending from straps 34 of detachable pool cover support brackets 36--36. Fixed to and projecting outwardly from each of the straps 34 are brackets 37. The brackets 37 along the upper edge are formed with bracket recesses 38 for accommodating projecting ends of the tubes 17 therein.

When the pool cover 11 is not stored on the rack 29 the brackets 37 are detached by simply disengaging the hooks 33 from the rod 3 2. The rack with the brackets 37 removed thus does not present a hazard. For storage of the pool covers the brackets 41 are hung over the rod and spaced to accommodate the projecting ends of the tubes 17.

To remove the pool cover 11 frame the pool 10 therefrom the ends of adjacent tubes 17 are gripped and the cover 11 moved lengthwise along the pool until the first of the tubes 17 is disposed beneath the innermost bracket recess 38. Thereafter the adjacent tube 17 is lifted and placed in the innermost recess 381 This is easily achieved because the tubes 17 are only spaced an arm span from each other. The folding process of the cover 11 is continued until the entire pool cover 11 is stored on the rack as shown.

What is claimed is:

1. A swimming pool cover for a swimming pool having a coping, said cover comprising a flexible and foldable panel means of substantially the same area as said swimming pool, sleeve means fastened to said panel means extending transversely of said panel and spaced lengthwise from each other, and rigidifying lightweight tube means inserted in said sleeve means and adapted to extend over said coping for suspending said panel means above the water in said swimming pool.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said tube means project outboard of said panel means at the ends thereof.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said tubes are spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the arm span of an average individual.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said panel means and said sleeve are made from plastic sheet material.

5. The invention as defined inclaim 4 wherein said panel means is provided with a plurality of drainage openings in the median portion thereof between each of. said tubes.

6. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said cover includes side and end flaps attached to said panel means, and wherein resilient strap means are attached to said flaps to maintain said flaps in snug engagement with the surface surrounding said pool.

7. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein cover storage means is located adjacent one end of said pool for storing said cover, said storage means comprising a rack having means for suspending alternate ones of said plurality of tubes above the ground level.

8. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said rack includes a stationary support frame, and bracket means detachably mounted on said support means, said bracket means including a plurality of spaced recesses for accommodating said tubes therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,895,143 7/1959 Seitz 4l72.l4 2,990,556 7/1961 Bander 4l72.l4 3,074,079 1/ 1963 Isaacson 4l72.l4 3,118,148 '1/1964 Taylor et al 4l72.ll 3,271,788 9/1966 Bander 4=172.l4 3,501,783 3/1970 Broadrnan 4l72.l4

HENRY K ARTIS, Primary Examiner 

